The Consulate keeps a generally quiet presence throughout Charted Space.

Few realize that the modern Zhodani state predates all of the other human major race polities and many of the non-Human ones as well. For instance, the Ziru Sirka was founded considerably after the Consulate, and it has already collapsed and been succeeded several times.

And unlike others, the Consulate has remained stable for thousands of years. The Zhodani culture is largely peaceful and allows for non-violent transitions of power. Few other polities can compare to such a lineage.

3. Third Frontier War: The Third Frontier War in (979-986) was also a concerted campaign by the Zhodani to expand into the Spinward Marches. Many Imperials consider the second and third frontier wars to be the same conflict. The Zhodani aren't saying one way or another.

Mishandling of the Third Frontier War caused the abdication of Emperor Styryx in 989.

4. Fourth Frontier War: The Fourth Frontier War was little more than a skirmish, compared to earlier conflicts. Neither side was prepared for the war, and an armistice was quickly worked out.

The only lasting effect of the war was to shift Esalin (Spinward Marches 0204) from Imperial control to neutral world status.

The Zhodani Consulate is characterized as having a high degree of centralization, which sets uniform policies that direct the entire multi-system state and disregards local/planetary differences. The Zhodani Consulate government is usually classified as a Democratic Republic, a form of a Unitary State.

The Zhodani Consulate is a democracy and specifically a Democratic Republic. Representatives (called consuls) are elected to ruling councils for one olympiad, with those councils responsible for specific responsibilities within the government. Members of the councils are also given the authority to carry out their programs and orders.

While on the surface and to outsiders, the Zhodani often seem to be a very serene and non-argumentative people. Little dissent occurs and few arguments are ever observed until... One begins to attend Supreme Council, where plenty of disagreements and arguments occur with great regularity. The Zhodani are not ones to regularly raise their voices or stomp their feet, but the higher classes certainly argue even if they do it in a measured, formulaic fashion. A number of political factions, at odds with one another, exist; however, as a society, the Zhodani are able to stay remarkably united in goal and purpose, much more so than other human states... Although, that can be argued, but probably not by the Zhodani!

Anti-Imperialists are opposed to the Third Imperium as being inherently inimical to the existance of the Consulate, meaning Imperial power should be contained if the Imperium itself cannot be driven out of the Spinward Marches.

They believe in covertly destabilizing the Imperium while cultivating allies around the Imperium to contain it.

Their efforts to expand the Consulate into Tloql Sector have yielded mixed results.

But their efforts to destabilize the Imperium have yielded subtle results that many think have been incredibly effective.

Progressives believe that more proles should receive psionic training and promotion to the intendant class.

They are social reformers and have noted the decreasing numbers of higher classes and a need to de-stratify Zhodani society to build more strength and psionic numbers.

Their programs have already shown the viability of widespread psionic training and they estimate that well over 95% of the population could be trained to psionic ability with a program of social inculcation, advanced training, and geneering.

They are focused away from territorial expansion, colonization or interstellar relations, a sort of isolationism.

This polity conducts diplomacy and maintains active relations with the following other polities:
Zhodani Interstellar Relations are, for the most part, an enigma. Zhodani society and culture is simply vastly different than the Solomani, Vilani, or even Imperial ideas about the function of ego, ambition, and government. When the Zhodani go to war, their motives often do not seem to obey the customs of realpolitik, and what the Zhodani do, during times of peace, is almost entirely confusing to Imperials or Solomani. Whatever they do, the Zhodani are well-planned and organized with a definite, if very mysterious, agenda.

The Zhodani maintain embassies and cultural exchange with any state or polity willing to communicate and who are not aggressively and violently hostile... And even then, the Zhodani will sometimes negotiate with such parties.

The Consulate maintains diplomatic relations with all of the major powers including:

Executive and judicial functions are performed by a series of councils of varying sizes depending upon the nature of their duties and the size of the area they govern. Each council elects one of its number as chief executive officer, and a number of its members as delegates to the next higher council.

Qlomdlabr (Supreme Executive): The ultimate ruling authority of the Zhodani Consulate is the Qlomdlabr or "Supreme Council." Unlike other councils, where newly elected members replace incumbents, the Supreme Council consists of two groups - the standing council (composed of conventionally elected counculs), and senior members (composed of all former members of the standing council).

Senior members of the council are an advisory body; they provide experience and advise the standing council. Senior members are often offered specific projects to oversee to completion.

Executive power for the Zhodani Consulate is vested in three consuls, one elected each year for a term of one Olympiad by and from the members of the Grand Council. No consul may be elected twice in succession, and retired consuls become life members of the Grand Council.

The ultimate ruling authority of the Zhodani Consulate is the Qlomdlabr; the Zhodani Supreme Council. Unlike other councils, where newly elected members replace incumbents, the Supreme Council consists of two groups - the standing council (composed of conventionally elected councils), and senior members (composed of all former members of the standing council).

Legislative power in the Zhodani Consulate is vested in representatives, called Consuls, are elected to ruling councils for one olympiad, with those councils responsible for specific responsibilities within the government. Members of the councils are also given the authority to carry out their programs and orders.

Citizenship, and thus the right to vote), in Zhodani society is restricted to the Nobility.

Proles and Intendants cannot vote, although they can express their opinions to the Nobility and attempt to lobby or persuade Consuls to specific courses of action.

(Legislative) Councils

A city council will elect a number of its members as representatives to a planetary council, and so on up the line through subsector and sector to the Grand Council of the Zhodani.

Nominally, each member of a council serves for one Olympiad (three Zhodani years), but in practice, each councilor serves until his replacement arrives and replaces him officially, or until word of his re-election to another term is received.

Often times, the district from which a councilor is elected will have only his relatives as voters, and his re-election is virtually assured.

Standard practice (when possible) calls for Zhodani councils to submit important questions to a plebiscite of those affected. The principle can be suspended where immediate action is required, but the official, ordering the action, stands responsible to the voters and must justify his actions as soon as possible.

Council Levels (...from lowest to highest):

6. Community Council

Each community (generally defined as around 50,000 people) elects a council of ten.

5. City Council

The local council selects two of its members to serve on the next highest council, generally the world council.

4. Planetary Council (World Council)

The World council elects two members to the Subsector council, who in turn elects two members to the Province council.

3. Subsector Council

The Subsector Council selects two of their members to serve on the Province Council.

Legislative power in the Zhodani Consulate is vested in a series of councils of varying sizes depending upon the nature of their duties and the size of the area they govern. Each council elects one of its number as chief executive officer, and a number of its members as delegates to the next higher council.

Standard practice (when possible) calls for Zhodani councils to submit important questions to a plebiscite of those affected. The principle can be suspended where immediate action is required, but the official, ordering the action, stands responsible to the voters and must justify his actions as soon as possible.

Typically, Zhodani society does not expect violence or dishonesty, and most of its enforcement apparatus is devoted to annual check-ups of individual attitudes. Each prole has a caseworker who maintains a file and performs an annual check-up for correct attitudes, as well as feeling for any problems or situations in need of assistance.

Foundations of Zhodani Law & Order

Premise

Synopsis

Remarks

Precognitive Crime Control

Because of the Enforcers' psionic talents, it is possible to detect intentions of a criminal nature before the crime actually occurs, and even intent is considered criminal under Zhodani law.

Those crimes which do occur are more often crimes of passion, or derangement. For example, two merchants may honestly disagree on some point of commerce, and it is possible that in their frustration, they may come to blows. This is a crime of passion, not premeditated, and easily resolved by an arbitrator. Or an individual may feel for some reason oppressed by the tasks or responsibilities expected of him, and crack under the strain. Suddenly and unpredictably, he becomes violent and must be restrained by the enforcers.

Crime & Psionic Law Enforcement

Enforcement agents find it relatively easy to apprehend criminals, and they are re-educated to more honest values.

Within the Zhodani Consulate, crime takes on a different guise than it has in other Human societies. Willful crime by Proles is easily detected and dealt with, and as a result, occurs only infrequently, Any burglar broadcasts his intentions before the fact, and can be detected after the fact as well.

Security & Trust

Because of the basic openness and honesty of the Zhodani, the arrangements for security are often minimal.

Locks on doors are simple if present at all.

Walls and structures are built for protection against the elements rather than against criminal penetration.

Even re-education centers (...there are no prisons to speak of) have only loose security arrangements.

The Tavrchedl are the Zhodani "Thought Police", and are a policing (law enforcement) branch of the Zhodani Government.

The Tavrchedl' also function as a paramilitary branch of the Zhodani Consulate Combined Interstellar Forces.

This organization is staffed by Intendants and Nobles, and is charged with maintaining correct thought within the population. They are constantly on the alert for aberrant thought. When detected, they home in on its source, apprehend the individual, and take him to a re-education center. There, at a re-education center, psionics are used to monitor the progress of re-education and the individual remains in custody until corrected.

To an Imperial it would be easy to look upon the Thought Police as a sort of secret police oppressing the masses. To the Zhodani, this is not the case. They are instead a respected community service. Even its clients feel relieved after being located and assisted back to normalcy. That, of course, is how they are supposed to feel.

The Zhodani Military is formally known as the Zhodani Consulate Combined Interstellar Forces, and is one of the most potent militaries in known space.

The Zhodani Military maintains both a formal, standing army of active service, the Zhodani Consulate Combined Interstellar Forces, as well as a reserve system, the Zhodani Consulate Auxiliary Guard, of auxiliary military forces for call-up upon need.

Nobles and Intendants serve as officers, in most command positions, while Proles overwhelmingly form enlisted rank and file, who mostly serve as combat arms (infantry) and in support roles (logistics, maintenance, etc.).

Zhodani Consular Guard: The premier military unit of the Zhodani military is the Consular Guard, a corps of psionically-trained troops with the near-unique ability to psionically teleport beyond enemy lines or straight into the vulnerable nodes in their enemy's military forces.

The Consular Guard is an elite force serving the same role as special forces, commandos, veteran or other specialized troops in other militaries. Consular Guard units are fully the equivalent of the Third Imperium's Imperial Marines, and like the Marines specialize in first response with their own dedicated military transport, potent well-equipped logistics, and organic combat support at all levels (air defense, artillery, communications, etc.). A Consular Guard force can quickly deploy, arrive at a combat zone, and engage the enemy.

The Consular Guard is mostly staffed by Nobles and Intendants, limiting its size. Strict training requirements (...including the achievement of very high physical, mental and pisonic fitness levels), fewer than one in three graduate from Consular Guard training, is also a size-limiting factor. The ZSNLF serve as the fleet's elite ship borne forces, each corvette and frigate has a squad with some drones and warbots.

The Third Imperium's Imperial Marines have most often been the Consular Guard's most competent enemy and common foe. The rivalry between the two forces is well known.

Tavrchedl' Paramilitary: As a Zhodani para-military organization, the Tavrchedl' serves several roles supportive of the military in peacetime, and as a military government on occupied worlds (...until they can be absorbed into the Zhodani Consulate) during wartime.

The Tavrchedl' are also charged with locating and removing agents of external powers from the Zhodani Consulate.

During the Frontier Wars, the Thought Police were responsible for the administration of occupied Imperial worlds. Zhodani military governments are concerned primarily with maintaining a safe and docile population, and proven methods of achieving such a condition include some brutal exploits to prove they are serious, followed by inclusion of locals into the governing process.

Apprehended suspects (people) often receive a quick re-education and then take their position with sincerity and dedication to the Zhodani cause. To the rest of the population, the individual appears to be brainwashed or coerced.

(Non-canon) SORAG is a sort of unofficial intelligence service for the Zhodani Consulate. The stated purpose of SORAG is to observe the progress of emerging interstellar societies, using overt surveillance methods. While SORAG officially uses overt intelligence gathering methods, many believe that covert intelligence gathering methods are also used, if not in a deniable fashion. SORAG is not directly affiliated with any military organization.

Please see SORAG for more information. This material has been declared non-canonical by Marc Miller.

Zhodani Communication (Fast Courier) Command: The Zhodani do not have an Xboat system. Naval bases are directly linked by relay stations using fast couriers that also carry government mail. Naval bases and depots exist on important or threatened worlds.

Unabsorbed (Sequestered) Worlds: (...equivalent to Amber Zones) are claimed and governed by the Consulate but not absorbed into the mainstream Zhodani culture. Essentially they are permanently unabsorbed worlds. Reasons for a world to be dsignated as unabsorbed include:

Reservation (Circumscribed) Worlds: (...equivalent to Amber Zones) belong to friendly non-Human races that have signed binding treaties with the Consulate. Another possibility for reservations include areas of ecological or scientific importance. Some of these areas might include:

Zhodani (Mainstream) Worlds: (...equivalent to Green Zones) are astrographic locations over which the Zhodani Consulate holds sovereignty (control) and are considered accessible to the public. These worlds include the vast majority of the Zhodani Consulate including nearly all highly-populated worlds that conduct trade and/or interstellar commerce. Some of these worlds include:

This table outlines the Provinces along the Core Expedition route which has over many expeditions gone some 5,000 parsecs towards the core, this outlines only the main claimed territory. The expeditions range far beyond what is shown on this table.